Unmerciful, Truth
by Batter
Summary: Two teens are suddenly thrown through the Gate after their friend - more or less. They find themselves stuck, and terribly injured.
1. Chapter 1

It was dark. Not explicitly, but it was dark, dark enough that it wasn't easy to see. Of course, I could, my eyes flickering around the room towards the other person in the room. The male sitting there wasn't too far from me, his mismatched colored eyes staring down. I leaned against him, silent as we waited for an answer. Waiting for.. a purpose, waiting for something always pissed me off. It made me tense, my hands curl into fists. It made him concerned to the point of him pulling me close and humming beneath his breath.  
"Dyl?"  
He was silent as I spoke, and finally he murmured a single word. His chest rumbled with it, my ear pressed tight there.  
"Yeah?"  
"Were gonna get her back, don't worry."  
I felt him sigh, his shoulders sagging as he pulled me back, trying to study in my eyes but it was far too dark for him to see. To see far enough through those glasses to try to view what my eyes were studying. He was hoping to god it wasn't the floor.  
"I won't like this, will I?"  
A smirk settled onto my face.  
"Probably not."

\- So, yeah, haven't been around for a while now have I?  
I changed my name and I'm revamping this story. I used to be Isillianwolf, but I updated my name for more or less personal reasons. This story was my last published, but its been a good year or so since I actually wrote here - so, here I go again. {on my own, going down the only road i've ever known}

SPEAKING OF REVAMPING THIS, new character :^)


	2. Chapter 2

'Probably not.'

Was that all I was going to say? Honestly? There was _so_ much running through my head. _So_ many things that could go wrong with this crazy plan, but it wasn't very easy to keep it to myself, now, was it? No, it really wasn't. I pushed off of the bed, where I had sat in mute silence until he pushed his way through the door. He had sat next to me, collected me and my tears, and held me until I was just sniffling against his wet shirt. Which I would consider later to be a complete and utter problem and try to apologize - and utterly fail. Like the time I accidentally scratched him

He rose with me, watching my every step as to make sure I wouldn't fall over again. I walked through the door silently, as my family would be long asleep {they trusted him long enough to stay here while they slept, as long as he left}, glancing back to him. Hopefully he knew the stairs were counted in eights. He simply looked at me, a tired, tired, sad look in his eyes. I winced as soon as I was looking back forward, beginning to creep down the stairs on silent feet. He was still wearing his jacket, and from the shadow, looked like something out of a fantasy horror movie. I didn't stop, however, continuing down the stairs, hanging the 180 on the landing, and continuing down.

From behind me, you could hear him trip and curse under his breath. I snapped my gaze back, eyeing him before continuing on. Silently, I began to search the kitchen for normal everyday ingredients. I was determined. Eventually, weary and exhausted, I settled the ingredients on the counter. My grey-hazel eyes turned towards his own mismatched brown-amber ones, staring for a moment. And, finally, he dared a whisper. "You aren't doing what I think you're doing, right?"

I simply gave another smirk - except this one was _far_ more forced and less brave.

He stared at me, then shook his head, coming around the corner of the counter and standing behind me, wrapping his arms tight around my shoulders and drawing me close to him. I closed my eyes, eyebrow twitching slightly. I inhaled deeply, knowing that it might be the last time I could live like this - silent nights, comfortable clothes and less deep thoughts on my mind. Slowly, my silver optics flickered open, and I leaned forward. "I'm fine." He stepped back around the corner, glancing towards me with those same tired and sad eyes, watching me as I began to arrange the ingredients.

He knew exactly what I was doing, and he hated himself for letting me doing it.

"Help me carry this." I said, taking it towards the front yard. It was freezing cold outside, and I hadn't bothered to pull on my coat. Dyl struggled to keep up, carrying more ingredients then I had - afterall, I had too many things on my mind. That, or a purposely left him behind so I didn't have to get a coat. Snow drifted down, but it melted around the driveway. I passed my father's car, without a second glance to my mother's car - or my grandfather's. Or the other three trucks, forcing the good memories and what I was leaving behind far away from my mind-space.

Dyl shrugged off his jacket, dropping it on my shoulders. I said nothing, pulling it on and pulling the sleeves up. They were far too long for me to wear alone, and I began to draw using white paint. My father would kill me when I made it back - that was if I made it back, of course. I paused at that, closing my eyes sharply. Tears budded at my eyes, but I said nothing as I opened them wide, continuing to paint. Dyl had found a plastic tub, and was beginning to mix the ingredients, giving me concerned glances. He knew I wanted to do this alone, but I didn't have the heart to push him away. Because, honestly, I was scared. I couldn't go this without help.

Enough about me. More about _her._

Eventually, as the snow had thickened, the circle had been completely. I took the box, settling it in the center of the large circle, stepping back to Dyl. "I hope to God this works." I muttered, pulling the hood of the jacket up. He stood close, before turning to me suddenly, jerking me around and pulling me close to him. "I can't loose you, Am, I can't." He whispered loudly, his shoulders shaking - and not from the cold. I closed my eyes. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tighter then I had before. "It's alright, I swear it's going to be alright." I made a decision, then and there, standing on my tiptoes to reach those few extra inches. Pecking him on the cheek, I lowered myself, bringing my hand around the back of his head and pressing his face to my shoulder.

We stood there a good while, in the silence of the snow drifting down onto our shoulders and hair. Slowly, he managed to calm himself down. I finally shifted, long enough to pull back and lift his chin up, eyeing him. His now red eyes faced me, and I gave him a {hopefully} encouraging smile. "C'mon. We've got my best friend to save." I replied, turning back to the circle. Without a heartbeat missed, he lowered himself down next to me, on his knees. The cold snow melted beneath our knees, melting into our jeans. MY hand found his, and I gripped it tight. I didn't look to him as he clenched down just as tight.

"Three." I muttered, raising my free hand. He glanced at me uncertainly, his hand gripping slightly tighter, but he soon copied me. "Two." I said, my shoulders tensing. My eyes open wide as I drew my hand back. He coughed nervously, and my free hand shook slightly. "One." I said, slamming my hand down against the circle. He followed a half a second later, his palm slamming down on the circle. Somehow, miraculously, light blinded us. Wind rushes through the trees and blew snow into a storm around us, carving a cylinder like shape in the middle of the driveway. Distantly, I was aware of the lights flashing on in the single window I could see for my parents room. There was a bark or two, and I glanced at Dyl, a crazy look shifting onto my face.

However, it quickly turned to fear and blatant terror as the black hands stretched. My heart pounded, watching the hands stretch out at the materials in the circle, winding around both me and Dyl. Without a second thought, it tore us apart. I finally let the scream stretch from my throat, my eyes flying wide. "DYL- NO!" He was shouting too, struggling and struggling against those hands that pulled him away and into the dark. I couldn't hear him. My heart raced, my stomach dropping to my feet. I couldn't hear him, I couldn't hear him-

 _We were going to loose eachother._

With that terrorizing thought, I glanced down to my legs. They were.. dissolving? They were going, going - gone. I looked up, glancing wildly around for Dyl. He was gone - Oh gods Dyl was gone. My only support in this fight was gone, a pile of clothes. What would my friends think? Who would cry, who would say 'good riddance', wipe their hands clean and walk away? I let out another screech, and suddenly, I was gone.

The whirlwind of snow dropped, leaving my mother in tears on the porch and my father wordless, staring.

\- I thought I couldn't get more dramatic.

Welp, there's the real chapter one, though I'm going to play it safe and call it chapter twooo :D


	3. Chapter 3

Suddenly, the chaos was swallowed up. Swallowed up in the blinding white, revealing nothing but a shadow of myself. There was no light source, no horizon point. It felt as if I was.. floating, almost. But that wasn't true, no, no it wasn't. My feet were solid on the ground, pressing to the.. floor? Ground?.. there. I finally jolted myself into motion, glancing to my legs with a nervous swallow. They were there. However much I wanted to deny it, my leg pants weren't soaked anymore. So was that.. a vision? I glanced around, finally, rubbing at my arms - I still had the jacket. I zipped it up, though it felt as if there was no temperature to this white place.

Only then, once I felt a tad bit better with his jacket close to me, did I turn. My eyes quickly widened, and my gaze tilted up.. and up.. until it reached the spire of this object. Two floating doors, that met in the middle, with an arch-like shape to the top of it. A tree was engraved into it, holding some strange language.. was that latin? My eyes squinted to make out the words when a voice spoke, making me straighten and my eyes narrowed, spinning towards the source of it. "Hello." It cooed, almost gently, at me.

'It' turned out to be a.. mass. A mass, outlined by a black writing mass, reminding me of something close to what Dyl looked like in the shadow, going down the stairs. I grimaced at the thought of him, but quickly pushed him out of my mind. It voice - no, voices - were of the hundreds, chorusing sharply and loudly, filling the seemingly endless white space I stood in.

I hoped to God this was a dream.

"What.. what are you." I finally ventured to ask, tugging on the sleeve of the jacket I wore nervously. It wasn't fear that was keeping my heart going, but rather the transmutation. How had it worked? Why in the name of the Gods was I on the - or in the - Gate? My eyes stared towards the white-black outlined mass, trying to keep my attention completely on it. For all I knew, it could have been my way out. It could have also been what pulled me in here. Instantly, I stopped relaxing, shifting my balance. "I.. am called God, in your world. Utterly, however..." It trailed off.

The eyeless, noseless, _shapeless_ , face peered forward, standing from it's cross-legged position. It's mouth - the only feature that was left upon its white face - smiled wide, it's teeth outlined in the shadow. I glanced up, trying to find the light source, but suddenly it was before me, grabbing my chin. Only then did I realize what mattered the most - it was the same size and shape of my body. I stepped back, towards the door.

"However.. I am also all that you know." It tilted my head roughly, mirroring my movements. It tilted my head straight again, as I strained against it. The force behind it's hand was miraculous - unmoving. I grimaced, wincing as I tried to force my chin away. "In other words, one. And.. I am.. You." A strange rush of air suddenly moved, but the temperature didn't shift. The clanging sounds of the door opening sounded, and 'it' - Truth, God, what the fuck ever - let go of me, stepping back and sitting back down in it's casual position, as if this was an everyday thing that happened around here. Wherever here was, if it was real.

"Welcome."

I turned then, staring towards the gate. No, that was wrong. The Gate was staring _at me._ I gasped, turning to run, but I realized that was futile. Hands - those black, black hands wrapped around my arms, taking me harshly. It wasn't gentle, as I struggle to run. It pulled me, reeled me in. The hands twisted, turning and wrapping around my limb, throwing me into the Gates. My mouth opened to shut, but my heart was racing too quick - sound was.. futile, it seemed. And like that? I was falling.

Video tapes - like the ones that were in the VCR - flew by. Chunks, some ragged memories. Some were falling apart, others were blank white. Everything was black now, pitch black beyond the moving video tapes. I shot through the air, my hands loose. I grabbed at my chest suddenly, then reached for my head, letting out a cry of pain. This had to be real, it couldn't be a dream. I prayed, but I realized soon that was futile. Was I.. alive? Dead? I let out another shout, my eyes shutting tightly. Slowly, it felt as if I drew to a stop in the falling, though I knew that wasn't true.

It couldn't have been.

My eyes widened, staring towards the visage at the end. Is this the end, the end to the knowledge jamming itself in my brain? I reached out towards it, tears budding at the corners of my eyes. My hands, at this point, were pixilating - and dissolving away. I couldn't feel them, no, no- I looked back up, staring towards the visage. It was shaped.. like.. No-

Blinding white surrounded me again, the doors shutting closed. I stumbled, my hands still outstretched. I stared for a moment towards "Truth," before shifting back into a standing position, my body heaving for breath and my heart thudding in my chest. "Welcome back." It said, the voices rising and falling - almost scream like in the pattern. Slowly, I wondered what the meant, as "Truth" pushed to it's feet. It began to walk towards me, and I didn't shift as I stared, still unable to speak from the pitch black place's experience. Was that the Gate? Was she truly at the end of this.. Gate?

"The toll, child. It's time." I paused in my thought, finally managing to let words stumble through my lips. "To-toll?" I questioned quietly, shifting away from "Truth," backing up against the door. Truth didn't stop walking until it was about a yard to two yards away. "The toll." A grim smile pressed to the mouth of "Truth," and I froze up. "Equivalent Exchange, correct?" It took another step. I felt like I was dropping, suddenly, as two pale legs appeared on Truth, outlined. I looked down, a shout leaving my mouth, trying to find my legs. They were gone - my hands shook with sudden fervor.

The White place was gone.

Screams riled from my mouth. Even to my ears, they were horrid, piercing and tearing at my mind. My hands had found where the limbs.. had been. From the joint down, my legs were gone. I didn't need to spell it out to myself to make myself believe. The pain was overwhelming, as blood pumped from where I lay. My eyes finally opened wide, and I glanced around. It was raining, badly, and it stank. Probably of me. I rolled over, still in what remained of my shirt and Dyl's jacket. My fingers dug into the ground. "Dyl-" I gasped, looking around.

Too many times have I froze up in this recent passing of time.

A pile of clothes nearby marked where Dyl had been. I crawled towards him, around whatever charred debree there way - had we done that? - and I sank my hands into his clothes. I let out another cry, still breathing heavily in pain. My hands scattered for anything, searching for.. _something_.. to make this right. MY hands darted over a piece of metal. It was heavy, but I didn't let that bother me. I moved towards it, crawling with what dignity I had left sitting on my shoulders. Pulling off Dyl's jacket, and ripping my shirt away from my shoulders, I dabbed my finger in the blood of my leg, hunching beneath a tied up piece of cloth, hoping the blood wouldn't run.

The metal piece was simple, but it wasn't large at all. It was an 'L' piece, and there was a carved out dip in it, as if something had been forced against it to keep that something in place. It seemed just right for what I needed, even if it was worthless to anyone else, soon, it would hold a large purpose. Such a large purpose that it wouldn't matter what it was. Rather, it would matter _who_ it was. I transcribed blood circles over my right arm, on the forearm. "Dyl, please- Please come back-" I shouted, feeling woozy. I swayed as I drew the other half of the circle onto the metal, in the dip.

Thunder cracked.

Stupidly, as if forgetting about that damned white place, I pressed my left hand to my forearm, and my right hand to the metal.

Somewhere far away, I stared Truth in the mouth as the gates swung open for the second time.


	4. Chapter 4

Slowly I managed to pry my eyes open. It.. was odd, laying here in the rain. I stared at the sky, uselessly bleeding out. The rain dripped off of my face, rolling down like tears. I could hear a metallic ring, ever so slight. Voices swam around me suddenly, a loud shout. Another metallic ring followed. My head turned slightly, grey eyes trying to move towards the source. However, as soon as I did this, my vision swam. I cried out again. Soon enough, I didn't have to move. "Al, look at this-" The shorter one - red, red and black adorned him, wild golden features - stared down at this.. mess. This mess of.. things.

What was I anymore?

"H.." I tried to make out, mouth bubbling with red. The taller one - was that a suit of metal? Why would you wear metal in the rain? Bleeding out on the dirt ground, in a burnt down house, and all I could question what why was he wearing metal in the rain? The taller one took one step, and dropped to his knee, glancing at me worridly. "Ed, you realize what she.." The metal one could finally manage to speak to his brother, who was looking at my grimly. He stared deep into my dull gray eyes, and I close them. I could hear someone shuffle - whether it was the short or the tall one, I wouldn't know.

"She did."

It was the first voice again. My eyes fluttered open weakly as I tried to look at them. The taller one was holding the metal. I began to struggle weakly, an intense feeling surging through my being. "Pu.." I coughed suddenly, blood splattering from my mouth. The golden- red? black?- one rushed over, trying to calm me down. "Don't move, damnit, you're going to bleed out like this! Al, take the metal, we have to get her to-" He cut himself off, knowing it'd be futile to talk anymore when the metal one - Al? - knew what to do. The metal one took the metal close to his chest.

The other one - Ed, from what my slow moving mind could gather - picked me up awkwardly. It was obviously, considering that I didn't.. have legs... I groaned as I was carried, blood dripping and soaking onto the black and red Ed {?} was wearing. My eyes fluttered again. "Hold on, just hold on, damnit." He cursed under his breath as he ran, trying to keep me even. My eyes flicked back his shoulder, looking towards the other one that ran with empty clanks. I stared dully at him and the piece of metal - which.. just appeared to be vibrating. I stared for a moment, before grimacing.

Ed - once again, still questioning that - bounced up the stairs, jiggling me. He kicked his right food against the door, and loud barking sounded from inside. The door flung open, a mess of blond hair shoved into my face and a wrench bouncing just above my nose. Within a half a millisecond, it seemed, it stopped moving, the blonde's mouth snapping closed. She opened the door wide, instantly understanding why he nearly kicked the door open. Ed pushed his way inside, my head rolling. It burned, oh gods it burned and it hurt and it- I gasped as I was carried straight into another straight white room, my gray eyes flicking around. "Whi-.. hite..." I gasped out.

Firm recognition jolted through the golden hair's mind and he moved, dragging the green sheets around the bed. He turned then, glancing down at his shirt before back to me. He opened his mouth to speak, an angry look on his face when the blonde strode in, smacking him promptly. "Out." She ordered. A smaller woman - like, midget sized - followed the blonde. I gasped again, as they pulled the sheets closer around. I relaxed slightly, however, the blood was still flowing. "Put her out." The smaller, older woman ordered, and the blonde nodded, gently placing the IV in my arm - my left one - and put a shot in my neck.

I tried to move my stump of a right arm, trying to stay away. Soon enough, I slumped asleep. "Dy-" I whispered.

Eventually, I managed to twitch my fingers. I groaned loudly, and then there was a flurry of activity. The sheets were thrown back, though I was no longer in that white room. It was warm here, smelling faintly of citrus. Smelling faintly of rain.. I jolted up suddenly, ignoring the pain as I forced my body to move. "Dyl!" I shouted out, my left hand reaching out and securing onto the nearest person. My hand gripped tight, pressing against the rough fabric there to ground my. Slowly, I looked to the owner of the wrist, staring at Ed. He glared down at me, and I winced sharply, moving my left hand far away from his arm and pressing it to my right arm's stump. It was bandaged, and I hissed in pain as I touched it.

"C-careful, it's still open."

My eyes drifted to the source of that voice. Al, was it? In his hands he gripped something. My eyes squinted, focusing on it through the reflex tears of pain, and I stiffened suddenly, my hand shooting towards him. "G- gi.." I gasped my only useful limb flailing desperately for that. A piece of metal was secured in my hand. Weakly, and trembling, I drew it close to myself. "Am." It said out of nowhere, that same voice I knew. Tears sprung to my eyes, and only Al stepped closer, laying a hand on my shoulder as I curled over the metal. Ed looked at me critically, though I wasn't to see the looks he made.

"Are you okay?" The metal vibrated as it spoke, rattling ever so slightly. I choked out a sob. This was painful - we had failed, we were far from home, and.. he was a piece of metal. What had I done? What did I do to deserve this? Why did she- "Am, are you okay?" The metal asked again desperately, Dyl's tone patterns worried behind the metallic shield of sound. He was reaching out for my help, an assurance. "I'm.." I finally managed my first full word, and I pushed out a sentence after it, tears running from my face. ".. sorry. I'm sorry - M' fine." That was a lie.

Ed winced.

\- So that was the chapter for tonight :^)

I need sleep, so I'll write this when I have time

four chapter in a night, shoot me


	5. Chapter 5

It wasn't soon after that the decision was made - and not by me. By Dyl. Ed had leaned back against the wall, silent in his misery - his thoughts, thoughts that only Al and Winry {i had learned her name when Dyl called for her} could probably infer, one better then the other. Al stood next to him, giving nervous glances about the room, his soul-red eyes trying to avoid my pitiful form. I was still holding onto the metal with my only hand, gripping it as tightly as I could. His jacket had been cleaned, and it was sitting and drying up on the left.

"You.." Winry finally spoke, standing at the foot of the bed. She sighed quietly, staring at me. She must have felt bad, very bad. She moved around the corner of the bed, resting her hand on my shoulder. I glanced up at her then, and only then. She stared down at me with her eyes, blue eyes. Deep blue, reminding of me of the water back home. "What's your name?" She asked quietly, in the moment silence that we allowed to pass. I closed my eyes, giving me the only name I knew would stick. "Am." I managed, through a thick tongue and dry mouth.

Winry nodded. "We'll take good of you, Am." She replied, before looking towards the brothers. At least, that's what Dyl had managed to tell me in the realest sense. I looked towards them too, and Ed suddenly spurred into motion, stalking across the room and glaring down at me. "Why." He asked quietly. Al straightened up, his metal pieces clacking together as he tried to move after Ed. I looked down at the metal that was settling before my stumps of legs - I winced at that thought - and closed my eyes, hoping that I didn't have to look at them the same way anymore. "She.. she had died- I couldn't live.." I dared to whisper.

"That's enough, brother." Al said, settling his gauntlet on his brother's shoulder. Ed grimaced, throwing Al off before leaning back against the wall. "I have half a mind to tell Mustang." He uttered. I said nothing, closing my eyes. Al sighed, if that was physically possible, and Winry shook her head.

"Fine, tell him, but I'm giving her legs." Winry suddenly spoke, moving around the bed and staring Ed straight into the eyes.

Al stepped back, staring towards the two.

Ed stared for a long, long moment.

Finally, he sighed, taking a step back. "Fine, do as you'd like." He said, turning to get up and walk away. Winry grabbed him by the arm, hands wrapping around Ed's bicep tightly. "And, Ed?" She finally asked, her voice softer then before - closer to weak, but not something you could read easily as weak. I watched on with calculating, but fearful eyes. I had an inference in which direction this was going to take, and I knew full and damn well it'd be painful. "Yeah, Winry?" He said, pausing to glance over his shoulder with the red, red fabric. That red fabric, which would soon haunt me in the coming years.

"Tell Mustang. Because she doesn't come from here, and I know damn well that if she didn't, she doesn't know what alchemy is." Winry stared at Ed in worry for a moment. Ed relaxed slightly, as if he was afraid at the wrench that sat on the bedside table. He then sighed, turning to look over me. "I know, Winry, I know." He murmured then, glancing over my missing limbs, which I moved to cover with my remaining hand. He winced then, a look of something.. something soft passing in his eyes. With the flutter of the red coat, he was walking out the door.

Winry turned to me.

"Well, are you ready?"

\- aha, sorry for the short length! i promise that the next one will be longer {and most likely include mustang}


End file.
